“Which brings us back to having a drug dealer on the property.” Marabel rested her head in her hands and leaned her elbows on her desk. “The police will dust the bags for prints and if Jenny’s are on them, I think there’s enough for them to charge her with a felony.”
“They wouldn’t,” I whispered. But my heart raced and I felt cold. Last week I caught Jenny about to smack her husband with a fly swatter. She’d been plotting Evie’s murder and spreading rumors about her. It wasn’t hard to imagine her planting drugs in Evie’s room. But where would Jenny get them?
Marabel interrupted my thoughts. “They might, which is why Ray definitely needs to get the power of attorney paperwork filed. The police are curious how the drugs made it into Evie’s room. Which reminds me, Mr. Nelson bought twenty cameras for the hallways. If the patients ask, explain they’re security cameras, and they’ll only be in the public areas. I don’t want anyone worried that we’re spying on them in their bathrooms or bedrooms.”
“Okay. Ray should be here soon. He wanted to talk to the cops, too.”
“Find out if he knows where Jenny might’ve gotten the drugs.” Marabel sounded like a boss, not a friend, and I worried about Jenny’s future.
Chapter Fifteen
Ray walked by the nurses’ station, nodded, and continued to the cafeteria. He’d contained his hair under a knit cap, but his beard seemed to want to leap off his face, as if the hairs wanted to avoid the awkward conversation with his parents and were trying to pull Ray in every direction but forward.
More residents filled the hallway, some headed toward the cafeteria to follow Ray, while others took an interest in the activities bulletin board located three doors down from Evie Feeney’s room.
Fifteen minutes later, Ray’s father huffed past my station, his cane snapping against the linoleum. A granite grimace replaced his usual easy smile. He turned into Evie’s room.
I worried about Jenny’s ability to provoke those responsible for her care. Ray’s dad had the legal power of attorney to send Jenny to a long-term care facility far away from Forest Forks. Out of sight, out of exasperation range.
Yelling ensued from Evie’s room, and I learned sweet Evie knew some colorful words, and she became an alto when angry.
Kristi flew past my desk, dressed in scrubs, so she’d come from work. She tossed a wave in my direction and entered the fray in her Aunt Evie’s room. The yelling stopped.
The residents returned to their rooms or toddled to the cafeteria, no doubt to see if Ray could calm his mother as effectively as Kristi soothed her aunt.
I did my patient rounds, checking vitals, and ensuring meds were administered.
Mrs. Almond frowned at me from her bed. “I hate oatmeal.” She pushed the tray away. “Honestly, Charlie, why can’t I eat what I want?” She crossed her bony arms.
“The doctor wants to keep your heart healthy. Would you prefer Cream of Wheat?” I checked her blood pressure, which was running a little high.
“No. I want bacon and eggs. My heart is ninety-two-years-old. That’s ten years older than the average dead person. Could you talk some sense into my doctor? Please, Charlie.” She patted my hand and blinked her watery-brown eyes at me.
“I’ll talk to him.” I picked up her tray, placed it outside, and returned. “What would you like for lunch?”
“Ham and cheese sandwich, with the fruit salad, please.” Her warm smile lit up the room.
“I’ll put your order in right now.” I made a note in her chart and returned her smile.
Back at the nurses’ station I handled Mrs. Almond’s lunch request. I hoped her doctor would understand Mrs. Almond vetoing his low sodium, low fat diet in favor of flavor.
Kristi stomped past the nurses’ station, eyes bugged out and clenched fists. She looked ready to murder, and she was headed toward the cafeteria and Jenny.
I grabbed my lunch bag. “I’ll be in the cafeteria if you need me,” I said to the ward clerk, Eric.
“‘Kay.” The man was a lump of enthusiasm. But when he was present, he answered the phones politely and the nurses’ aides loved him for some reason.
Ray and his mother sat near the coffee bar with a Scrabble board between them.
Kristi pulled a chair next to Ray, leaned over and whispered. Her body posture with rigid shoulders, the red in her cheeks, and the way she emphasized her words with a poke to his chest, looked like she wanted to scream.
Nora sat on the loveseat fifteen feet away and faced them with a bag of popcorn in her lap and pure interest in her gaze.
I crossed the room and sat next to her.
“This is better than Jerry Springer,” she said.
I pulled out my sandwich. “You’ll be glad to hear, Evie finally calmed down.”
“That’s good. She shouldn’t get so riled up.” Nora pointed her finger at Jenny. “That one is either brilliant and playing us all or missing more marbles than we first suspected.”
Jenny’s attention focused on the Scrabble board, but she’d glance at Ray every few seconds.
He didn’t look at his mom. He listened, mouth closed, eyes studying his hands which rested on his knees. And he blinked when poked by Kristi. He was physically present, absorbing Kristi’s wrath, and remaining calm.
Jenny may have created a storm, but Ray weathered it.
Jenny’s previous antics–spreading rumors that Kristi’s aunt had STD’s and plotting Evie’s murder–made her the number one suspect for planting drugs in Evie’s room. This was bad.
“Security cameras are being put up in all the hallways today,” I said. If Marabel wanted all the residents to know, telling Nora was faster than an overhead announcement, seeing as many of our residents were hard-of-hearing.
“Day late and a dollar short,” Nora said.
“Where do you think the drugs came from?” I asked.
“I told you, Johnny’s kid.” Nora stuffed a handful of popcorn in her mouth.
“Which one?” I asked.
“I don’t know, they’re twins.” Nora gave me the side-eye and
